The Emory University softball team closed out its regular season with a defeat of WashU in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, MO.
The Eagles lost the first game of their doubleheader to the Bears 7-1 before ending the season on a high note with a 4-2 victory. Emory wraps up the regular season with an 18-20 record and a 7-13 record in conference play.
Game 1 - WashU 7, Emory 1
The Eagles struggled to string together hits in the first game of their doubleheader as they fell to the Bears in the first game of the afternoon. Freshman Kayla Lang led the way for Emory going 1-for-3 at the plate and contributing the team's lone RBI. Graduate student Allie Moberg and sophomore Page Nellis each contributed a double for the Eagles. Sophomore Natalie Swift drew the start in the circle and with her efforts moved her season record to 4-12.
The Eagles got off to a bumpy start giving up a combined five runs in the first three innings of play which set the tone for the remainder of the game. The Eagles managed to eat into the Bears lead in the fifth inning when a Lang single through the left side scored Nellis. The Bears would go on to put two more runs on the board to close out the game 7-1.
Game 2 - Emory 4, WashU 2
The Eagles used a hot start at the plate and a precision filled performance in the circle to propel themselves to their final victory of the regular season.
In graduate student Natalie Costero's final game of her career she had a strong showing going 2-for-3 at the plate with one run and two RBI. Sophomore Rachel Cocolis had the other two RBI for Emory off of a single hit in the fourth inning. Senior Mattie Ryan pitched the complete game for the Eagles and gave up just two runs while striking out three batters to move her season record to an impressive 14-8.
The Eagles plated both senior Megan Weisenberg and Nellis off of a Costero single into right field in the first inning to put Emory in a great position to begin the game. The Bears got one run back in the third but it wouldn't take the Eagles long to respond as a big time single through the right side by Cocolis would score two more runs for the Eagles putting them up three.
WashU scored one more run on a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning but their comeback attempt fell short as the Eagles earned the 4-2 victory.